pkdmslf Posted April 9, 2019 Report Share Posted April 9, 2019 (edited) I started out years ago with the Boggs Tacklemaker then later purchased the Twistech Wire Former. I used these for years on and off as I only make inline spinners for myself, family and friends. I haven't made any in a couple of years and my stash is getting low so thought I would treat myself to a new wire forming tool. Read a lot about the Hagens so I bought one. My thoughts? They all do the same thing. The Boggs limits you to how long a spinner you can make due to the rotating shaft that you have to insert the wire into to twist. Not really and issue for me because the majority of my inlines are for trout and bass. I have made some large Pike inlines that turned out pretty good but you are limited to the length. The Twistech has a smaller footprint so it takes up less space. It does the same thing as the Boggs but I think it is a bit easier to use and the lure length is not as limited. However the loops are noticeably larger. Bugs me as with the smaller inlines the large loop size doesn't look right. I don't think the fish know that but I do. Then last week I got my hands on the Hagens Professional Wire Former. Nice piece of equipment. Large footprint and expensive compared to the Boggs and the Twistech. It does the same thing as other two. It came with two different heads for making "normal' sized loops and larger loops with heavier wire. I purchased the extra head for making smaller loops so that was an additional expense to an already pricey tool. No issue with making longer lures. I pulled all of my wire formers out and twisted up some .031" wire to compare the loop sizes between the different tools. Sorry but I forgot to actually measure the loop sizes but you can see from the photos the differences. The Hagens made the smallest size loop with the Boggs slightly larger than the Hagens. The Twistech made the largest size loop. Again the Twistech loop size bugs me but it does make really nice tight wire wraps compared to the Boggs and the Hagens which make looser wraps. I'll keep all three wire formers just because. In the end I could have done without the Hagens and used the money for lure supplies. Pretty costly for doing the same thing as the Boggs and Tacklemaker tools to just get smaller loops. For anyone thinking of purchasing a wire forming tool, maybe this information will help you make a better decision. Edited April 9, 2019 by pkdmslf Tool name correction 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted April 9, 2019 Report Share Posted April 9, 2019 I have the Hagens wire former. I can tell you this. The Hagen's will form tight wraps up to .041 like the Twistech. However you have to keep pressure on the spindle as you push and turn the handle. I don't know if that is easier or harder then the Twistech as I don't own the other two. I will say when bending .062 wire, it is easy to do with the Hagen's however I find the wraps are a little looser, maybe because of all the effort it takes to bend the thicker diameter wire. Thanks for the comparison. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apdriver Posted April 9, 2019 Report Share Posted April 9, 2019 Teds right on the money. Push and turn the handle at the same time to make tight loops on your Hagen’s. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
